Microsoft announced yesterday a second-generation Surface Hub 2S digital whiteboard that will be available later this year. The new digital whiteboard will be running a new Teams Rooms experience that will differ from the existing Windows 10 Team Edition that powers the existing Surface Hub 2S.
The Surface Hub 2S was originally released back in 2019, and it’s currently available in 50-inch and 85-inch sizes. The device is designed for meeting rooms and its large multitouch screen allows multiple people to brainstorm using Microsoft Whiteboard and other apps. The Surface Hub 2S is also certified for Microsoft Teams and can be coupled with Teams Rooms devices, but the second-gen version coming later this year will make it a Teams Rooms device on its own.
“The future of Surface Hub will meet the realities of modern work, combining the latest Teams Rooms features with the iconic Surface Hub 2S design and premium hardware – a thin edge and bezel, dual active inking, and 20-point multi-touch – and providing users with a natural experience for enhanced collaboration,” Microsoft explained.
New Surface Hub 2S will run Teams Rooms on Windows
The new Teams Rooms on Windows experience on the upcoming Surface Hub 2S will add support for the latest Teams Rooms features including Front Row. Microsoft promises feature parity with other Teams Rooms on Windows devices, as well as a “best-in-class” Whiteboard experience.
In addition to the built-in Teams Rooms features, the second-gen Surface Hub 2S will make it just as easy to join Zoom and Webex meetings. Microsoft didn’t share a lot of details about the new Teams Rooms on Windows experience yesterday, but the software change also means that IT pros will be able to manage Surface Hub 2S devices more easily in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center and Pro Management Portal.
Existing Surface Hub 2S models will be supported until October 14, 2025
Microsoft also said yesterday that existing Surface Hub 2S devices running Windows 10 Team Edition will continue to receive software support until October 14, 2025. It won’t be possible to upgrade these devices to the new Teams Rooms experience, which will be exclusive to the second-gen Surface Hub 2S launching later this year.
While this is unfortunate for a device starting at $8,999 (the 85-inch version is priced at $21,999), Microsoft has made it possible to install Windows 10 or Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise on existing Surface Hub 2S models. This basically turns the digital whiteboards into full-fledged Windows PCs and removes the Windows 10 Team limitation that restricts Surface Hub 2S devices from running apps that haven’t been published to and signed by the Microsoft Store.